Welcome

Welcome to the secondary phase of Ark John Keats Academy.

We opened our gates to our first Y7 cohort in 2014 and now have 510 pupils in the secondary phase. We are a school where both staff and pupils can flourish within a supportive, aspirational and disciplined environment. As a community of professionals, pupils and parents we are ambitious about what we can achieve as we work together to build an exceptional school. The school is built on six pillars, which are the foundation of an excellent education, developing confident, articulate, culturally aware young adults.

Strong discipline is at the heart of our school, providing the calm and focussed environment that allows pupils to learn, show and receive respect and develop the behaviours that will enable them to play a full role in society. We teach discipline because we recognise the long term benefits of having high levels of self-discipline and also because without a disciplined environment, children cannot learn.

Our teachers are subject experts with an excellent understanding of the intellectual journey they are taking their pupils on and master the teaching skills to support this. Our curriculum is planned backwards from university in each subject area, ensuring pupils have mastered key learning before moving on. It is a knowledge rich curriculum where what pupils are learning about is as important as the skills they are acquiring. This means that pupils are developing a solid framework of understanding and set of skills that support all future learning in that subject area.

We use our interactions with pupils to raise aspirations. Through lessons, tutoring and informal discussions, we introduce and discuss aspirational role models, current affairs, further study, university and careers. We continually support pupils to think more deeply and more broadly about the world around them, their role in it and the opportunities it presents. Pupils have four character development sessions per week which are largely delivered through seminar style discussions. The focus on self-development and personal growth means that our pupils are self-aware, confident and can express their opinions effectively and constructively. Pupils develop their passions and interests through enrichment, which is built into the school timetable. We currently have 54 sessions running across a number of disciplines including advanced coding, political art, Japanese and cooking.

Our staff are very well set up to deliver on these six pillars through the organisation of the school and the time invested in development. This development supports staff to achieve mastery in all aspects of their practice and prepares them for the next stage of their career.

We are very excited about the future of our school and the potential of our pupils.